Wire measuring and cutting machine.



E. L. GELE, Sn. wmE MEAsumNG AND'CUTTING MACHINE.

-` APPLICATION FILED JAH. 22. |916.

Patented 1160.17, 1918.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Y ERNEST GALE, SR., OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATOR COM- PANY, F JERSEY CITY, NEW' JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WIRE MEASURING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

'Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1.918.

Application led January 22, 1916. Serial No. 73,534.

To all whom t may concern: A i

Be it known that I, ERNEST L. GALE, Sr., a citizen of the United States, residing in Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire Measuring and Cutting Machines, of which the following is a speciflcation`.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for measurin and automatically cutting material; and a though it may have a general application, it is Gadapted for use more particularly in cases where the material requiredto be measured and cut is of a flexible nature, such as wire, etc.

The invention in its more essential details consists in the provision of electrical means operating in conjunction with a measuring instrument, for controlling the automatic cutting or sectioning operation'of the material. j A

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 p illustrates .iii-3a more or less diagrammatic manner, a general arrangement view of apparatus embodying the present invention, for measuring and automatically effecting the cutting of wire; Fig. 2 illustrates in perspective, an enlarged detail viewof ceri tain elements `shown in Fig. l, and Figf?? illustrates in a more or less vdiagrammatic manner, another view in somewhat enlarged form, of certain elements illustrated` in Fie- 1 1 The'a'pparatus in detail comprises a mem ber 1, substantially rectangular in' shape, this member acting as a guide or runway. through which the material to be measured and cut, such as wire 2 is fed from a reel 3. The parts forming the guide member, withthe exception of the strip 1 which 'forms one of the sides thereof, may be supported 'by a pair of rocker arms 4 and 4', the latterl 'being operatively connected by a rod 5 supported by suitable standards such as 6. The member 1 serves as an instrument for measuring the wire, there being provided for determining the measurement, a suitable ,scale face, such as is indicated at 1".

The means employed for the purpose of cutting the Wire, consists of a cutter or blade such as 7, secured to one of the lateral faces of the rocker head 4. A pair of rollers 8, and a xed head 9, serve to ide the wire 2 from the reel into the guide or measuring instrument 1.

23, supported by l iianges 27 on the base,

2, as it is fed The rocker arm 4 is in the form of a bellcrank lever, it being operatively connected 4to a rotatable member 10, which may be keyed or otherwise suitably connected to a shaft 11. The member 10 is provided with a cam yslot 12, through the medium of Which a rocking movement of the'head 4 is effected,

and in this manner causesthe blade 7 to cut the wire 2. A clutch mechanism of a wellknown type, such as is designated by the reference numeral 13, serves vto connect the shaft 11 to and disconnect 'it from a pulley 14, loose' en the shaft 11, the pulley being in const-ant rotation, it being connected by a belt 22 or any other suitable means to a source of operating power.

A forward and return movement of the on the bell-crank lever 19. When the electro-magnet is denergized in a manner as hereinafter pointed out, the dog is returned kto normal position as indicated in Fig. 3, by

the action .of a spring 21, and co-acts with the cam 16 to disengage the clutch sections.l

Coming now to the elements which in conjunction with' the electrically controlled clutch mechanism form more particularly the subject-matter ofthe present invention, they consist of an electrical vswitch device a base 24. The base is made adjustable .along thescale face 1 of the member l, by constructing theI base with a tongue`25 which engages a longitudinal groove 26 in the member 1, the base being retained to the said mem'berby means of the side of the scale-"face, these Afeatures of com bearing on the under struction being clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

The switch device comprises a pair of .ooacting contacts 28, 28', these contacts being normally held open 29. The contact 28 is carried by a pivoted arm 30, the depending portion 30 thereof being adapted for engagement by the wire through the member 1, the

105. by means of a spring will be cut is determined, there being provided a set-screw 31 for the purpose of retaining the base in set position.

rlhe strip 1, with the parts in normal position as indicated in F ig. 3, forms one side of thel member l, one of its ends being pivoted at a iixed point 33, a link 3i oper# atively connecting the strip with the rocking head 4.' With this arrangement it will be seen that as the head 4 is rocked to e'ect a cutting operation, the interior chamber of the member 1 isopened by the strip 1 as indicated by the dotted line position in Fig.

3, and in this manner the length of wire out,

is dropped or released by gravity from the member l, the releasing of the wire from the member 1 allowing the spring 29 to open the switch 23, and in this manner open the circuit for the electromagnet 17.

l am aware of certain mechanical devices i employed for the purpose of controlling the automatic cutting operation, but mechanical devices are found objectionable as they are limited in their use to comparatively large size wire, it being found that on account of the more iiexible nature of a comparatively small size wire, as compared with a larger size wire, such mechanical devices could not be effectively actuated by the smaller size wire, this being so `for the reason that the smaller size wire tends to buckle or kink in overcoming the friction and lost motion in the mechanical parts, this sometimes resulting in the wire being` cut in lengths longer than intended. By the use of the present electrical means the above-noted objections are entirely overcome.

Having described the invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an electrical switch device adapted for actuation by material required to be cut, a cutter, a guideway for the material, a movable headcmoving both the cutter and the guideway therewith, an electromagnet in circuit with the switch device, and means operated by said electromagnet for connecting the cutter witha source vof operating power. Y A .i

Q "In apparatus of the class described,

the combination of la cutting instrument, aguideway, a movable head supportin both the cutting instrument and the gui eway,

power mechanism, a tripmechanism oper- Lasagna able to connect the movable head with the power mechanism, and electrical means controlling the trip device.

3. 1n apparatus of the class described, the combination of a cutting instrument, a guideway, a pair of rocking arms support, ing', the guideway, one of 4the said arms also carrying the cutting instrument, power` mechanism, a trip device operable to connect the rocking arms with the power mechanism, and electrlcal means controlled bythe material required to be cut controlling the trip device'.

4. ln apparatus of the class described, the combination of a cutting instrument, a movable head carrying the said instrument, means actuated by the movable head to form4 an open and closed chamber adapted to form a guideway for the material required to be cut, power mechanism, a trip device operable to connect the cuttingA instrument with the power mechanism, an electromagnet operating the trip device, and a. switch device adapted for actuation by the Vmaterial re-l quired to be cut and controlling a circuit for the trip device. i, l c f.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination of a Apower-operated cutter,

means forming a gudeway for material re quired to be cut, said guideway forming a chamber which is opened and closed by movement of the cutter, and an electric switch adjustably supported bythe guideway.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a power-operated cutter, a guideway for material required to be cut,

' said guideway forming a chamber which is opened and closed by movement of the cutter, an electric switch supported by the guideway adapted for actuation by the niaterial to be cut, and an electromagneticdevice controlled by the switch for effecting an automatic operation of the cutter. Y

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a rocking head carrying a cutter blade, means movable with the head forming a guideway for material required to be cut, and an electrical device adjustably supported by the guideway adapted for actuation by the material to be cut, to effect a cutting operation.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a movable head carrying a cutter, means movable with 'the head forming a guideway for material required to be cut, an electric switch adjustably supported by the guideway adapted for actuation by the material, a source of operating power, and an electroresponsive device having a vcircuit controlled by the said switch vand opof power, and means automatically to effectl the release of the wire from the movable y guide. i

10. In appara-tus of the class described, the combination of a power-operated wire cutter, a member forming a chamber into which the wire is fed, an electrical switch device comprising a switch arm depending into the chamber for engagement by the said Wire, and means for adj ustably retaining the switch device to the guideway.

11. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a power-operated wire cutter, a member forming a chamber into which the Wire is fed, and an electric switch slidably supported by the guiding member, the said switch comprising a pivoted a'rm depending into the chamber for engagement by the said Wire.

12. In wire cutting apparatus, the combination of a rectangular member forming a guide for material required to be cut, and an electric Switch device carried by a base, the rectangular member being constructed with a slot to slidably retain the".

base thereon.

13. lIn wire cutting apparatus, the combination of a rectangular member forming a guide for the wire required to be cut, said member having a slot, an electrical switch, and a base supporting the said switch, the said base being slidably retained to the rlectangular member and engaging the said s'ot.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST L. GALE, SR.

Witnesses:

SGHUYLER PHILLIPS, GEORGE D.- Rosi-1. 

